CORRESPONDENCE OF WILLIAM SHIRLEY WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE DUKE OF MY LORD DUKE, St. James's Street, Novr. 23, 1752. Having lately taken the liberty to beg of your Grace to favour my application for the government of the Leeward Islands, and inclos'd a letter from Mr. Western to your Grace upon that subject; That I may trespass, as little as may be, upon your Grace's time, I beg leave to lay before you a state of the grounds of my request, before I have the honour of waiting upon your Grace again. Before I had any pretensions of publick service to recommend me to your Grace's protection, your Grace was pleas'd in mere Goodness to me to procure me the government of the Massachusetts Bay in New England. The Factious Temper of the people there towards their former Governours, and the Distracted state of the Affairs of the province, when I had the honour of being appointed to the government, with the happy Alteration in both, since my Administration of it, are well known to your Grace. I improv'd the Opportunities, which this post gave me of doing several National Services; I sav'd Nova Scotia with the English cod fishery more than once from falling into the 1 B. M., Additional Manuscript 32730, 281. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. hands of the French during the late Warr; and form'd, set on foot, and conducted an Expedition, the immediate Consequences of which were, that Cape Breton was taken, the French lost their Codfishery, and about £800,000 Sterl in prizes, as they were sailing into the Harbour of Louisbourg, before they knew that it was surrender'd to the English. As the benefits, which accru'd to the Nation from these Services, happen'd under your Grace's Administration, I won't presume to observe to your Grace of what Importance they were to the Kingdom, or what Effect it might have had upon the State of publick Affairs, if instead of preserving Nova Scotia, and taking Cape Breton, his Majesty had lost the former to the French, and they had kept the latter; which would have been the case, if it had not been prevented by my vigilance. Soon after the taking of Cape Breton I was oblig❜d to make a voyage to Louisbourg and reside there as Governour of it, about seven Months, to retain the American forces which were frequently upon the point of a General Mutiny for being kept (from their farms and families) in Garrison there, untill the Arrival of the Regimts. from England, to take possession of it for his Majesty, and to hinder a Distribution of the Island from being made among the Captors, as was propos'd by Sir Peter Warren. At my return from Louisbourg besides the care I had in common with the other Governours in North America to raise Levies for the intended Expedition against Canada, I receiv'd your Grace's Commands to take several preparatory steps for the execution of the plan; the settling of which was committed to me in conjunction with Genl St. Clair, and Sir Peter Warren; and I went thro' a considerable Duty on that acct., tho' the Expedition happen'd not to take Effect. The principal part of the care of the whole Governmt of Nova Scotia was likewise committed to me; and I took the Burthen of it upon me untill Mr. Cornwallis's Arrival in America: The Orders sent me from time to time for that purpose were of great latitude, and contain'd high marks of his Majesty's Confidence in me; and I had the honour of receiving his Approbation of my Conduct in the Execution of them. And my Accts will shew how inconsiderable an Expence I put the Nation to in clearing that province of the Enemy, and preserving it during the whole Warr; tho' it was the principal Object of their Attempts in North America, as well from Old France, as from Canada. The last Orders, I receiv'd from your Grace on acct of that province were to form plans for the Civil Governmt and fortification of it, both which I did, and transmitted them to your Grace's Office. Upon the Expedition against Canada's being laid aside, I had your Grace's orders to discharge, in concert with Admiral Knowles, the American forces, upon such Terms, as we thought would be most adviseable for his Majesty's Service, and to collect, liquidate and adjust the Accompts of all the Governours concern'd in that Expedition, and to transmit them to be lay'd before his Majesty. I will not trouble your Grace with an acct of the Execution of these Orders (which rested wholly in myself) either in America or here, further than to observe that I lessen'd the publick Expence by it to the amount of at least £40, or £50,000. The Execution of this trust chiefly employ'd my whole time after my Arrival in England, untill my going to Paris in another Branch of his Majesty's service; and for my behaviour in that I may appeal to his Majesty's Ministers, with whom I corresponded, who, I believe would do me the honour to express their perfect Approbation of my Conduct in it. After these services, at the End of eight Years, which I have spent in them, I find myself, my Lord, in a worse situation than I was in before I engag'd in them; my Regiment, the only mark, which I receiv'd of his Majesty's favour for them, is reduc'd; That was a profitable one, the short time, it lasted; But the Extraordinary Expences I was put to in the whole Course of my services will over ballance the profits of it. I am without even half pay, which every other Officer of my Regiment enjoys upon the reduction of it; and my Governmt of the Massachusetts Bay hath been within these three Years, dismember'd of the only Valuable perquisite in it, the Naval Office. What compleats my Disappointments is, that my private fortune is not sufficient to enable me to make a provision for my Family without some mark of his Majesty's favour. The Vacancy of the Governmt of the Leeward Islands, which I flatter myself, I might obtain, if your Grace shall be pleas'd to favour my pretensions, seems now to afford an opportunity for my doing this; and I am encourag'd to hope from the first instance of your Grace's goodness to me in patronizing me, and the kind Intentions, your Grace hath been pleas'd at several times to declare to me of supporting me with farther marks of his Majesty's favour in recompence of my services, that your Grace will favour me with your protection in this instance. I am with the highest respect, Your Grace's most Oblig'd, and His Grace the Duke of Newcastle. Endorsed: St. James's Street. Novr. 23. 1752. GOVR. SHIRLEY. W. SHIRLEY. WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE DUKE OF MY LORD, NEWCASTLE 1 St. James's Street, Jany. 23, 1753. Having been inform'd by one of your Grace's servants at Newcastle House, that your Grace saw no Company this 1 B. M., Additional Manuscript 32731, 100. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. |